Juridique et Administratif

💸 WuBook's PMS, Zak, supports hoteliers in daily legal and administrative tasks including creating and sending institutional reports to local authorities for statistical or control purposes. Zak provides internal statistical reports for revenue managers with data on total revenue, room production, meal and extra revenues, room revenue rate, room availability, occupancy rate, RevPAR, ADR, TrevPAR, TrevPOR, and more. The PMS can also automatically generate and send institutional reports required by local authorities in Andorra, Chile, Colombia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, with different delivery modes: automatic, semi-automatic, and manual. The PII module of Zak manages multi-property configurations within the same or different countries and includes generic reporting for unspecified needs. Reports include check-in/out data, guest demographics, and are tailored to meet the criteria of each country or region's regulatory body.

📱 The U.S. TikTok ban, set for January 19, 2025, may greatly impact tourism professionals as 170 million American users could be unable to view their content. TikTok has been a key travel inspiration source since 2016, with 38% of GenZ travelers using it for trip ideas as of May 2024. The Château de Versailles ranks as TikTok's second most successful brand in France, with over 500,000 followers and 60 million views in 2024.

🏠 Hundreds of videos on YouTube and TikTok advise on how to earn money on Airbnb without owning any property by becoming "co-hosts." The trend is anticipated to gain significant attention in 2025. Co-hosting rules on Airbnb are strict, but videos suggest ways to circumvent them, hinting that a growing number of owners on social networks like Facebook are open to such agreements. The phenomenon is so prevalent in the US that it is expected to spread to Europe by summer. Successful co-hosts on Airbnb can manage an average of 7 properties, with Airbnb's platform receiving tens of thousands of requests on its launch day for co-hosting services. Co-host managed rentals typically receive higher ratings (4.86) than professional conciergeries (4.62), with Vacasa losing over 3,000 management contracts out of 42,000. Co-hosts can charge either commissions or flat rates, with Airbnb setting strict eligibility requirements, including at least 10 completed stays or 3 stays totaling 100 nights and maintaining a 4.8-star rating over the last 12 months.

🏖️ In Vienna, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili held high-level meetings, emphasizing Austria's key role in sustainable tourism, with 6 Austrian villages part of the UN's Best Tourism Villages Program and Tyrol joining the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). Discussions with Susanne Kraus-Winkler, State Secretary for Tourism, highlighted Austria's leadership in the Committee on Statistics and its contribution to the internationally agreed Statistical Framework for Measuring Sustainable Tourism (MST), endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission earlier this year. Austria's influence was pivotal in drafting the MST, which assesses economic, social, and environmental impacts and dependencies of tourism.

🧠 Google CEO Sundar Pichai called employees to prepare for a pivotal year in 2025, highlighting AI as key for competitiveness. A December 18 strategic meeting at Google's Mountain View headquarters addressed challenges including increased competition, particularly from OpenAI's ChatGPT, and regulatory scrutiny, such as a 2023 federal ruling against Google's online search monopoly, DOJ actions, and European Commission investigations. Google's AI model Gemini aims to reach 500 million users, surpassing rivals like ChatGPT.

🏠 In Barcelona, by 2028, 10,000 short-term rental licenses will end, causing landlords to demand €4.28 billion in compensation. A political decision was made following a tragedy and complaints about noise and rental market pressure; Barcelona's rents have surged 68% in 10 years. Meanwhile, the city supports adding 15,000 hotel rooms, and 7,000 landlords have united under Apartur to challenge the decree-law 3/2023 passed by the Catalan Parliament. Barcelona's tourism contributes 14% to its GDP, with 170,000 daily tourist arrivals. Legal battles involve the Spanish Constitutional Court and a European Commission investigation.

🛠 Adhérents question the update of objective categories for provident and health care schemes. Employers' unilateral decisions (DUE) need updating for compliance with objective categories, distinguishing between executives and non-executives. The 1947 CCN and 1961 ANI have been replaced by the 2017 ANI, requiring references to articles 4 and 4 bis to change to 2.1 and 2.2 of the 2017 ANI by January 1, 2025. HCR branch provident and health care schemes do not require updates, as they do not reference old articles or assimilated executive status (Article 36). Companies without specific contracts or distinctions between executive statuses need no action; those with references must update them before the 2025 deadline.

💬 Tech talk on cybersecurity, DMA, and GDPR scheduled for January 9th from 4pm to 5pm via video conference. Interested participants can request the connection link from Amélie by emailing a.logre@ghr.fr. The CHAT team sends holiday greetings and looks forward to the meeting next year.

💸 On December 17, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted new price transparency regulation impacting short-term rentals where pricing clarity was often lacking. This rule requires all mandatory fees, such as cleaning and service charges, to be included in the total price displayed from the first page of websites or booking engines. The FTC's move aims to eliminate the "drip pricing" practice, saving consumers an estimated 53 million hours of rough calculations per year, which translates to $11 billion over the next decade. Over 70% of consumers abandon bookings due to undisclosed costs.

🏠 Paris reduces short-term rental limit from 120 to 90 days, effective January 1, to tackle fraud and housing speculation. Law passed on November 19, 2024, empowers mayors to tighten rules. Paris, with over 95,000 declared tourist furnished rentals, including 78,000 primary residences used as temporary accommodations, aims to preserve long-term housing and reduce nuisances. The decision aligns with policies affecting furnished rental owners globally, potentially prompting legal challenges. Other French cities may follow suit as housing issues intensify ahead of the 2026 municipal elections.